GRAMMY award show delivers surprises


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Every GRAMMY show is as much about the awards as it is about the personalities of the stars that sit in their seats, awaiting the award announcements.

This year’s award show congregated a variety of artists from Muse to Justin Bieber and included strange sights including hip-hop gal Nicki Minaj in a completely leopard-print outfit and a Frankensteinian hairdo to Lady Gaga arriving in an egg carried by supermodels.

The real surprises came in a few important categories, namely the Best New Artist category.

Justin Bieber (above) lost to Esperanza Spalding in the Best New Artist category. | Creative Commons

The nominees included obvious favorites like Drake and Justin Bieber, but the award went to a figure many pop fans may not be familiar with: jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding. The 26-year-old from Oregon may not boast of Bieber’s fame, but the votes might prove she is making a name in the music world. She will be performing at Bovard on Feb. 26.

The pop and hip-hop genres received another blow in the Song of the Year category. Cee Lo Green’s highly infectious and playful track “F*** You,” along with Eminem and Rihannah’s raw and emotional collaboration in “Love the Way You Lie” missed snagging the honor.The award went to country band Lady Antebellum for “Need You Now,” which also took home Record of the Year. In the end “F*** You,” ended up snagging Best Urban Vocal Performance.

Arcade Fire’s success was officially cemented with their win for Album of the Year. The band’s The Suburbs beat out major contenders, including Eminem, Katy Perry and even Lady Gaga.

Not surprisingly, some of the most popular songs on the radio airwaves still took major awards. Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” gave her Best Pop Female Performance and The Fame Monster snatched up Best Pop Vocal Album, leaving Bieber defeated once again.

Bruno Mars took away the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and John Legend & the Roots went home with Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performnance.

Eminem’s “Not Afraid” received Best Rap Solo Performance, beating out fellow rappers Drake, T.I., Ludacris and the ever-controversial Kanye West in the only category West’s name was under.

Another year has come and gone for the GRAMMY awards and now that Lady Gaga has once again left her print on the music world and Kanye West most likely feels snubbed yet again, all a music fan can do is wait for next year’s award show and see what new Biebers crop in the meantime.

For a complete list of winners, click here.